Mold Remediation 101: An Overview

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Mold Remediation 101: An Overview

By L. Harman

With claims involving mold damage escalating into the millions of dollars,

it's no surprise that adjusters and restorers alike are looking for

long-term, cost effective solutions. States across the country are

developing and adopting legislation to address the growing concerns of

consumers, contractors, and adjusters. California and Texas in particular,

have seen multi-million dollar judgments against insurance companies, and

Texas is considering capping mold liability for insurers at $5,000.

There are no easy answers to this growing problem, but a number of practical

solutions exist. Mold is the result of ignored or improperly restored

moisture damage. It can be from a roof or window that leaks, a basement that

floods, a toilet or tub that overflows, water pipes or cold air ducts that

sweat, even a reverse osmosis system that drips continuously. Whatever the

cause, if left untreated, the result will likely be some sort of mold

growth. The good news is that 95 percent of these moisture problems are

preventable. The difficult question for insurers is whether the water source

is a covered peril.

The battle against mold is often won or lost in the first 24 to 48 hours

after the water intrusion. " The sooner mitigation services are initiated,

the better the opportunity to reduce the loss, " explained Cliff Zlotnik,

president of the Association of Specialists in Cleaning and Restoration.

" Water damage is a progressive condition, the longer it stays wet, the worse

it gets. "

Mold growth requires three conditions: a nutrient source (drywall,

carpeting, ceiling tiles), moisture (from any source), and an optimum

temperature. Darkness and still air further encourage its growth. Mold can

thrive on drywall, in ventilation systems, on wood, wherever moisture is

left untreated. The species most likely to develop are Chaetomium,

Paecilomyces, Trichoderma, Aureobasidium, Aspergillus, Penicillium,

Cladosporium, Altenaria, Fusarium, and Stachybotrys, but none of these can

be identified simply by color or odor.

The adverse health effects on humans from prolonged exposure to such mold

spores may range from runny noses, coughs, nosebleeds, and congestion to

upper respiratory ailments including asthma or bronchitis. For individuals

with weakened immune systems (e.g., from chemotherapy or AIDS), the results

of exposure can be life threatening. " There is a misplaced emphasis on

identifying mold species, " said L. King, technical advisor to the

National Institute of Disaster Restoration (NIDR). " All mold must be

remediated and with the same level of caution. "

Guidelines, Scopes, Labs

Although a number of guidelines have been generally accepted by the

industry, these are not the final word in any remediation situation. The New

York City Guidelines (www//nyc.gov/html/doh/html/ epi/moldrpt1.html) and the

ACGIH Bio Aerosols: Assessment and Control Book (www.acgih.org) outline

recommendations for various mold remediation situations. Information on the

Environmental Pro-tection Agency web site (www.epa.gov/

iaq/molds/index.html) includes prevention; investigating, evaluating, and

remediating moisture and mold problems; a list of resources; a glossary; an

introduction to molds; and a section on communicating with building

occupants.

The New York City Guidelines are often used as the starting point in

remediation projects and address five different levels of mold

contamination. (For a more comprehensive review, please consult the New York

City Department of Health " Guidelines on Assessment and Remediation of Fungi

in Indoor Environments. " )

Level 1 - Covers an area comprising less than 10 square feet

Applies to ceiling tiles, small area problems, or unoccupied work areas.

Containment is unnecessary; however, dust suppression methods on surfaces

prior to remediation, as well as training and protective equipment for

workers, are recommended. Contaminated materials that cannot be cleaned

should be removed from the building in sealed plastic bags, and all areas

should be left dry and visibly free from contaminated debris.

Level 2 - 10 to 30 square feet

Uses the standards included in Level 1. Respiratory protection (e.g.,

disposable respirator), gloves, and eye protection should be worn. The work

area should be covered with plastic and sealed with tape to contain the

dust, and work areas for egress should be HEPA vacuumed and cleaned with a

damp cloth or mop and detergent.

Level 3 - 30 to 100 square feet

This level requires consulting a health and safety professional with

experience in performing microbiological investigations, training personnel

in the handling of hazardous materials, following OSHA recommendations for

respirators, and sealing the work area, as well as ventilation ducts in the

work space and adjacent areas.

Level 4 - Spaces greater than 100 square feet (contiguous)

Again, an individual with experience in performing microbiological

investigations should be consulted prior to beginning the remediation.

Full-face respirators, as well as disposable protective clothing, should be

worn, and containment of the work area is more specific, as are procedures

for cleanup. Areas adjacent to the work area should be unoccupied, and air

monitoring is required to determine when re-occupancy is safe.

Level 5 - HVAC contamination

Areas less than 10 square feet can be handled by regular building

maintenance staff, while health and safety professionals should be consulted

for larger areas.

As is often the case, there are some who question the basis for these

guidelines, which essentially relate to the presence of stachybotrys

chartarum atra on drywall. For example, " Does the difference between 30 and

31 square feet justify shifting to a substantially higher level of

response? " This underscores the absence of a definitive standard.

A protocol for mold remediation begins with guidelines and should include

the specifications and scope of work, according to Terranova, of Terra

Nova in Las Vegas, Nev. Terranova was the remediation contractor who wrote

the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the first recorded case of

stachybotrys chartarum atra in the state of Nevada. His SOPs for the project

were based on information provided by Philip Morey's specifications and

scope. (Morey was one of the six panelists who wrote the New York City

Guidelines.) " My SOPs are designed to include protection for residents,

employees, and visitors in the adjacent clean areas, " explained Terranova.

The authors of SOPs, specs, and scopes address guideline issues, subject to

their knowledge and experience, including:

- Health & Safety

Personal Protection Equipment

Decontamination procedures

- Environmental Assessment

Baseline, monitoring, and clearance sampling

- Remediation

Isolation techniques

Emergency exit plan

Pressure differentials and air flow design

Chemical use

Debris handling and dumping

- Hazard Communication

Logging procedures

Common Mistakes

Simple errors or oversights at any time during the process - from the

initial response to the final clearance testing - can affect the final cost

of the remediation procedure. Here are 10 things to be aware of during a

mold remediation project:

1. You can't just spray it away. Although antimicrobial agents may be

valuable tools during the remediation process, they are not the solution for

fungal growth.

2. Similarly, there are those who believe that every event should be sprayed

or disinfected with a biocide. The misconception is in not understanding

that some fresh water floods, when dried quickly, do not need to be treated.

" When applying chemicals, we always run the risk of exposing the client to

other (and possibly more serious) hazards, " said Jim Pearson, of Americlean

in Billings, Mont. Prudence is the key in these situations. " The contractor

should ask the customer about sensitivities to odors. He should identify the

source (clean, gray, or black water), assess the contaminants present and

the age of the flood, investigate for mold growth, and follow industry

standards to remediate, " said Pearson. Since biocides are EPA-registered,

any application should strictly adhere to the product's printed

instructions.

3. Look below the surface. The problem is often worse than you think or can

visualize. Mold often grows on both sides of building materials. There is

the visibly exposed side, but the damage on the unexposed side is often even

more extensive.

4. Biases may be blinding. A restoration company that is inexperienced in

handling water damage claims may fail to look beyond its expertise and

comfort level. For example, if the company is unfamiliar with HVAC systems,

these systems may be overlooked entirely. Drying companies may recommend

drying materials that should be replaced, while construction companies may

recommend replacement of structural materials that can be dried effectively.

Also, the use of air movers in mold situations may actually spread mold

spores more widely.

5. Don't forget about common sense. The guidance documents mentioned above

are excellent resources for mold remediation methods and issues, but they

are not the law and do not supercede actual common sense.

6. Ask about refloods and old damage. Often, the mold found during

remediation is the result of a water intrusion that occurred months or even

years earlier. Mold generally takes 30 hours or more to form (grow to

colonies and be large enough to be recognizable). " Once a few colonies form,

all that is needed for them to literally mushroom in quantity is for the

area to become wet again, " explained Pearson. " Keep in mind that a serious

mold condition after a flood is not necessarily due to the flood, but may

have been caused by the homeowner's simply 'sucking up' the water the last

time the area flooded.

" From an insurance standpoint, this may be an important fact to determine

coverage, " Pearson continued. " We work for the customer, but what we tell

the adjuster could affect the coverage. It puts us in a difficult position.

Adjusters rely on us to prevent future mold growth through proper

remediation (quick response, applying biocides, fast drying), but when we

advise them that expensive demolition of moldy sheetrock is called for, they

want to know why. Customers, on the other hand, want to get everything

possible covered, even though the problems have been exacerbated by their

actions (or inaction) during a prior flood or a delay in reporting present

losses, giving the mold a chance to set in. " The best thing a contractor can

do is to stick to the facts and avoid trying to interpret policy coverage.

7. While not all molds are toxic, all molds are allergens and have the

potential to adversely affect human health. There are no safe or unsafe

molds. The CDC states that, " whether stachybotrys or penicillium, all mold

should be treated the same. "

" While some in our industry take this as saying mold is not a problem, " said

Pearson, " I think it's important to note that the rest of their [CDC's]

statement is, 'Seriously.' My advice is to walk the thin line between being

alarmist and downplaying the issue as not being important. "

8. Hire the right person for the job. " When you are involving an industrial

hygiene or testing lab, it is important to use one that can identify the

mold species involved and write the proper protocol for remediation, "

according to VanDover, vice president of restoration services for

Woodard Cleaning & Restoration and NIDR chairman. " Qualified remediators

will want protocols written for them. It's also important that the person

handling the remediation is not the same person doing the testing or writing

the protocol. "

9. Beware of invoices without protocols. " Bills from a contractor without a

protocol attached should raise a red flag for the adjuster, " said VanDover.

" You should be able to compare the scope of the work with the actual

charges. " The scope will indicate specifics such as the need for containment

with negative air pressure. Invoices that include charges not specified in

the scope should be questioned.

10. Moisture migration plays a role. " Moisture migration is the number one

cause associated with mold growth, " said Terranova. " Moisture migration from

exterior pathways to the interior of a building can cause mold growth if

left unabated long enough. Leaky roofs, gutters, windows, doors, and

exterior cladding (i.e. stucco, siding, brick, etc.) are primary exterior

moisture migration pathways. Improper ground elevation and slopes are large

contributors to ground water migration to the interior of a building.

Wicking ground water into building components can also cause mold growth. "

Whether they realize it or not, the goals of both the insurance adjuster and

the restoration professional are often the same. " What adjusters may

overlook is that, while a professional restorer's best service may be

costly, it is actually less expensive to do the job right the first time, "

said Pearson. " My advice for them is to learn about the proper procedures

and the cost of doing business. They should seek out those companies who

make the investments in training and equipment because this shows a

commitment by the restoration company, which usually translates to

professional, no-call-back service. "

The mold remediation industry is still evolving as information is developed,

procedures are updated, and additional safeguards are implemented. Like

physicians, adjusters and restoration professionals should adhere to the

motto: " First, do no harm. " Unfortunately, with mold, doing nothing may be

the most dangerous option of all.

Special thanks to Cliff Zlotnik, CR, WLS, CMH; Terranova, WLS, CMH;

King, CR, AM; VanDover, CR; and Jim Pearson, CMH, for their

contributions to this article. L. Harman is the editor of Cleaning

& Restoration.